Steak Internal Temperature: The Complete Doneness Guide

An overcooked steak is gone the moment you cut into it, and an undercooked one goes back on the heat while the table waits. The difference between the two is a number: the internal temperature. Here is the exact temperature for every level of steak doneness, how to hit it on any grill or pan, and where the classic advice gets it wrong.

Table of Contents

• The short answer
• Steak temperature chart
• Is medium-rare steak safe? Doneness vs. safety
• Steak temperature by cooking method
• How long to cook steak (why temp beats time)
• Carryover cooking and resting
• Where to measure for an accurate reading
• Steak doneness myths
• Steak food safety
• How to hit your number every time
• FAQ

The short answer

Steak doneness is measured by internal temperature: 125°F (52°C) for rare, 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C) for medium-rare, 140 to 145°F (60 to 63°C) for medium, 150 to 155°F (65 to 68°C) for medium-well, and 160°F+ (71°C+) for well-done. Pull the steak about 5°F early and rest it 5 to 10 minutes.

Medium-rare is the most popular target for good reason: it is the warm red center where the meat is tender and the juices stay put. For food safety, the USDA recommends 145°F (63°C) with a 3 minute rest for whole cuts of beef; more on how doneness and safety fit together below.

Steak temperature chart

Measure in the center of the thickest part. Pull temp is when the steak comes off the heat; carryover cooking finishes the job during the rest.

Final temperatures are from The MeatStick doneness guide. Rest steaks 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

One important exception: burgers and anything made from ground beef need 160°F (71°C) throughout. Grinding spreads surface bacteria through the whole patty, so the doneness ladder above does not apply. Full breakdown in our medium-rare burger guide.

Is medium-rare steak safe? Doneness vs. safety

Doneness and safety are two different questions, and steak is the one meat where they separate cleanly.

On a whole, intact steak, bacteria live on the surface, not inside the muscle. A proper sear takes that surface far past any temperature bacteria can survive, which is why steakhouses have served rare and medium-rare beef for a century. The USDA's recommended minimum for whole cuts of beef is 145°F (63°C) with a 3 minute rest, which lands at medium; cooking below that is a personal judgment millions of cooks make every day on intact, well-seared cuts.

Ground beef is the opposite case. Grinding mixes the surface through the middle, so the safe number applies to the center: 160°F, no exceptions. The same logic applies to mechanically tenderized (blade or needle tenderized) steaks, which should be cooked to 145°F because the surface has been pushed inside.

Steak temperature by cooking method

The finished internal temperature is the same no matter how you cook it. What changes by method is the cooker temperature and the path you take to the target.

The timing pattern for a standard 1-inch steak on a two-zone grill is the 3-3-3 rule for steak: 3 minutes per side over direct heat, then 3 minutes per side on indirect. For steaks over 1.5 inches, the reverse sear gives you a more even edge-to-edge finish. And if you are choosing what to cook in the first place, start with our guide to the 5 best cuts of steak.

How long to cook steak (and why time is the wrong question)

Every "grill 4 minutes per side" chart is guessing on your behalf. Cook time depends on thickness, the starting temperature of the meat, how hot your grill actually runs, and even the wind on your patio. Two steaks from the same pack can finish minutes apart.

Use time to plan and temperature to decide. A 1-inch steak over direct high heat runs roughly 3 minutes per side plus a short indirect finish, which is exactly the pattern the 3-3-3 rule packages. But the moment the Stick reads your pull temp, the steak comes off, whatever the clock says. That is the whole trick: stop overcooking steaks by letting the number end the cook, not the timer.

Carryover cooking: pull it before it is done

A steak keeps cooking after it leaves the heat. The hot outer layers push heat toward the center while it rests, raising the internal temperature about 5°F on a typical steak.

That is why every row of the chart has a pull temp below the final temp. MeatStick recommends pulling your steak about 5°F below your target doneness and resting it 5 to 10 minutes: carryover lands it exactly on the number, and the rest lets the juices thicken and redistribute so they stay in the meat instead of on the cutting board.

Where to measure for an accurate reading

A reading is only as good as its placement. The center of the thickest part of the steak is the coldest spot and the last to come up to temperature; that is the number that matters.

• Insert from the side, not the top, so the sensor sits in the middle of the meat rather than passing through it.
• Aim for the center of the thickest section of the cut.
• Avoid fat pockets, gristle, and bone. They heat differently than muscle and will skew the reading.
• On thin steaks, side insertion is the only way to get the sensor properly seated in the center.

Steak doneness myths

The poke test. Comparing the steak's firmness to the base of your thumb is a party trick, not a measurement. Firmness varies by cut, aging, thickness, and temperature of the raw meat. Chefs who make it look reliable cooked thousands of steaks to calibrate their hands; a thermometer calibrates for you.

Cutting in to check. The cut you make to peek is the cut the juices escape through, and the color you see mid-cook is not the color the rested steak will settle at. You pay for the answer with the juiciness you were trying to protect.

"The red juice is blood." It is not. The red liquid in a steak is myoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen in muscle, mixed with water. We break the whole thing down in the truth about the "blood" in meat.

Color tells you doneness. Interior color shifts with the cut, the animal's diet, and even lighting. The only doneness signal that works every time is the internal temperature.

Steak food safety

• The danger zone is 40°F to 140°F (4°C to 60°C). Do not leave raw or cooked beef in that range for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F outside).
• Whole cuts: the USDA recommends a minimum of 145°F (63°C) plus a 3 minute rest.
• Ground beef: 160°F (71°C), always, including burgers, meatballs, and meatloaf.
• Thaw in the fridge, not on the counter; counter thawing parks the surface in the danger zone for hours.
• Leftovers: refrigerate within 2 hours, eat within 3 to 4 days, and reheat to 165°F (74°C).

How to hit your number every time

Steak has the narrowest window of any everyday cook. The gap between a perfect medium-rare and an accidental medium is about 5°F, the target sits in the invisible center of the meat, and the two honest ways to check it both cost you: opening the lid drops the heat, and cutting in drains the juices.

A leave-in wireless thermometer solves the whole problem. Insert the Stick before the sear, set your doneness target in the app, and it tracks the true internal temperature through the sear, the flip, and the finish, then alerts your phone the moment you hit your pull temp. The MeatStick V Prime is a truly wireless Stick with multiple internal sensors that find the coldest spot of the steak automatically, plus an ambient sensor that watches your grill temperature at the same time.

Cooking two steaks to two different targets, a medium-rare for you and a medium-well across the table? The MeatStick V Duo runs a Stick in each steak and calls each one at its own number.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature is a medium-rare steak? Medium-rare steak is 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C): a warm red center and the most popular doneness. Pull it off the heat at 125 to 130°F and rest it 5 to 10 minutes; carryover heat finishes the job. The MeatStick doneness guide treats 130 to 135°F as the medium-rare window.

What temperature is steak done? It depends on the doneness you want: 125°F rare, 130 to 135°F medium-rare, 140 to 145°F medium, 150 to 155°F medium-well, and 160°F+ well-done. For food safety, the USDA recommends 145°F with a 3 minute rest for whole cuts of beef.

What temp should I pull steak off the grill? About 5°F below your target doneness. For a 135°F medium-rare finish, pull at 130°F; for a 145°F medium finish, pull at 140°F. Carryover cooking closes the gap while the steak rests.

Is medium-rare steak safe to eat? On a whole, intact, well-seared steak, bacteria live on the surface and the sear takes that surface far past survivable temperatures. The USDA's official recommendation is 145°F with a 3 minute rest; eating medium-rare below that is a personal choice millions of cooks make daily. Ground beef is different and always needs 160°F.

What temperature is a medium steak? Medium steak is 140 to 145°F (60 to 63°C), a warm pink center that is firmer than medium-rare but still juicy. Pull it around 135 to 140°F and let carryover finish it during the rest.

What temperature is well-done steak? Well-done steak is 160°F (71°C) or higher, with no pink remaining. Cook it gently after the sear; at this temperature most of the free moisture has been driven out, so the margin for toughness is small.

Where do you put the thermometer in a steak? Into the center of the thickest part, inserted from the side so the sensor sits in the middle of the meat. Avoid fat pockets, gristle, and bone, which read differently than muscle.

How long should a steak rest? 5 to 10 minutes for steaks, 15 to 20 minutes for large roasts. Resting lets carryover heat finish the cook and gives the juices time to redistribute so they stay in the meat when you slice.

Does steak keep cooking after you take it off the heat? Yes. Carryover cooking raises a typical steak about 5°F while it rests, which is why MeatStick recommends pulling about 5°F below your target doneness. Pull at 130°F for a 135°F medium-rare.

What temperature should a burger be? 160°F (71°C) all the way through. Ground beef spreads surface bacteria through the whole patty, so the steak doneness ladder does not apply to burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf.

Can you tell if a steak is done without a thermometer? Not reliably. The poke test, interior color, and the clock all fail across different cuts, thicknesses, and grills. A reading from the center of the thickest part is the only check that works every time.

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